By Zafri Mudasser Nofil,

Book: "Homemakers Without the Men: Assam's Widows of Violence"; Author: Wasbir Hussain; Price: Rs.195; Pages: 122; Publisher: Indialog Publications.

This book is about 12 courageous women - who lost their husbands or kin during the decades-long insurgency in Assam - but have not given up on life.

The author, Wasbir Hussain, has been writing on insurgency and ethnic strife in Assam and other northeastern states for more than two decades and has short-listed women survivors from across the state for his work.

These women belong to a wide spectrum of society - wives of schoolteachers, student and political leaders, police officers, corporate employees, small businessmen and even daily wage earners or close relatives of militant bosses.

A large number of rebels belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and others have been killed by security forces. Similarly, rebels have killed many security personnel and ordinary civilians, besides hundreds of others in ethnic conflicts in the state.

The ULFA was founded at Rangghar, an amphitheatre of the erstwhile Ahom kings in Sivasagar district of eastern Assam, to "liberate the state from colonial clutches of Indian imperialism" through an armed struggle. They have now halted operations following a similar gesture by the central government for a definite period. The NDFB - currently on ceasefire with the government - has been demanding a separate homeland for the Bodo tribals.

This is perhaps the first time that someone has brought to light the tales of suffering of the widows of little wars (low intensity conflicts).

Hussain meticulously describes the tales of trauma, pain and hardship of these women.

Tillottama Basumatary and Kamrun Nissa lost their husbands in random attacks by rebels who wanted to "prove their strength".

Basumatary's schoolteacher husband fell to bullets while he was at the market, while Nissa's husband, a contractor, was gunned down by masked men outside his home as he was watching his son play.

Anita Mashahary, Janaki Brahma, Bhanumati and Raktima's husbands got killed as they were prominent student leaders.

Basanti Sharma, Ajanta Neog and Alaka Sarma became widows because their politician husbands were shot dead or killed in bombings by militants.

Lakshi and Jashmi Hembrom's husbands were victims of deadly ethnic riots.

Bharati Rajkonwari and Bharati Kalita lost their husbands because of their family ties - to a mystery gang better known in the state as secret killers. While Rajkonwari's husband was the brother of the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, Kalita became a victim just because she is the sister of the group's elusive deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah.

Unknown killers also killed ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua's brother. But mother Miliki Baruah has turned into a crusader of peace and wishes peace soon returns to the state.

One striking thing that the book points out is that anybody can become a victim of violence in a volatile theatre of insurgency and ethnic turf wars. The impact of such killings is being felt directly by the wives, children and parents of such victims.

Though these widows speak the same language - of deep anguish, pain, trauma and hardship - they constantly talk about the need for peace.

It is indeed remarkable to learn how these women did not to succumb to adversity and themselves found the strength to carry on with life and the means of rehabilitation.

One important point the author raises is about providing a means of livelihood to these women, besides making a systematic effort to give them mental succour.

He rues that although Assam has been in the grip of insurgency and ethnic strife since the late 1980s, the authorities have not thought it necessary to provide professional counselling to the survivors of violence.

He hopes that someone intervenes, makes a list of Assam's widows of violence and provides them some support.